Posts by Eric Ducker
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An Abridged History of Jason Schwartzman’s Most Loathsome Characters
Jason Schwartzman’s character in ‘Listen Up Philip’ may be the most aggressively unappealing character he has ever played, but looking back at his film history, it’s remarkable and admirable how often he has portrayed loathsome characters.
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We Went There: Drake vs. Lil Wayne vs. the World-Famous Hollywood Bowl
Last night the Drake vs. Lil Wayne tour came to the Hollywood Bowl for a sold-out show. The pair has been hitting amphitheatres through August and September, but the Bowl is a historic spot, and not just because it’s the setting for “The Rabbit of Seville.” These days it’s best known as the outdoor home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Playboy Jazz Festival, and the summer-long KCRW World Festival.
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Would It Shock You Now? A Look Back at the Attention-Grabbing Moments of TV Pilots Since 2001
There’s an arms race going on in the world of television. Show creators know they have to deliver some memorable shocks if they want network execs and viewers to pay attention, particularly if they’re going to blow them away with the first episode.
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Q&A: Have You Noticed a Really Sad, Creepy Cover Song in a Trailer Recently? Nouela May Have Done It
So you’re going about your day, distracting yourself with a trailer of Melisandre burning non-believers on a beach or a troubled Ben Affleck searching for his missing wife, when you think to yourself, Wait, I know this song playing in the background, but something about it sounds …different, sadder, more conducive to images of rooms catching fire in slow motion. Then you realize that the soulful, grandiose cover of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” you’re hearing actually kinda makes you want
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Q&A: Norman Greenbaum Explains Why You’ll Never Stop Hearing His Song ‘Spirit in the Sky’ in Trailers Like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
“Spirit in the Sky” hits the trifecta of simultaneously being easy shorthand for a long-gone era (the ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ remake, ‘Wayne’s World 2’), a groovy take on religion (the trailer for ‘Michael,’ ‘Superstar’), and journeys into outer space (Tiger Woods on the moon for Gatorade).
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The Charles Dance Menace-O-Meter: Rating the ‘Game of Thrones’ Patriarch’s Most Intimidating Roles
Dance has spent decades playing all manners of tyrants, harsh dad figures, and assholes — his roots are in British television from the 1970s and early 1980s — but Tywin Lannister may be his best one yet.
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We Went There: Post-Clippers Game Dodgeball at Staples Center
Grown-up dodgeball is nothing new in Los Angeles, nor is its sister sport, kickball. Michael Costanza, who started the World Dodgeball Society, felt that basketball and soccer leagues for adults usually attracted players who already had at least varsity high school or college backgrounds, scaring off anyone with more casual experience.
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Q&A: Inside Llewyn Davis and Oldboy’s Max Casella on the Coens, Spike Lee, Woody Allen, and Surviving The Sopranos and Child Acting
Almost 30 years into his acting career, Max Casella has had a pretty fantastic 2013. November saw him playing the host of a true crime show in Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake, and as of last Friday you can see his memorable turn as Pappi Corsicato, owner of the New York City folk music club the […]
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The Coming Attractions of Andy Enfield’s USC Trojans Basketball Program
Five years ago, former USC men’s basketball coach Tim Floyd told the Los Angeles Times he was canceling the Midnight Madness event the team had hosted for the past three years. “I want to go have a real practice and not a carnival atmosphere,” he said. “I guess I figure we’re on TV enough, there’s […]
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Q&A: Veteran Music Video Director Diane Martel on Her Controversial Videos for Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus
Heads up: NSFW videos and websites are occasionally linked to throughout this post, so watch who’s watching your monitor. Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Miley Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop” have quickly become two of 2013’s most watched and argued over music videos. Thicke’s finds him and the song’s costars Pharrell Williams and T.I. goofing off […]
